Dallas city, amendments to Baker, Mosely, Heirs of-Relief granted to. Bean, W. P.--Relief granted to.... Boom-E. S. Crosby granted right to construct across Brazos river. Byars, C. M.-Relief granted to. Charters-Austin city, amendments to. Galveston city, amendments to Crosby, E. S.-Boom, granted right to construct. Darby, Geo. W.-Relief granted to.. Houston-Amendments to city charter Jefferson Iron Company-Authorized to surrender charter. 34 Medina County-Certain lands to be patented for benefit of free schools. 24 Musick, Ull-Relief granted to Relief Granted to-Baker, Mosley, heirs Bean, W. P.; Byars, C. M.; Chowning, H.; Chowning J. W.; Creager, J. A.; Harral, Milburn Linkhart, T. W. & Co.; Jones R. F. Miller, Alsey S. Musick, Ull; Stringley, J. A.; Sumner, J. R.; Wilson, J. P. Stringley, J. A.-Wilson, J. P.; Sumner, J. R. Thomson, John W., Heirs-Relief granted to. United States Government Jurisdiction over certain property in Dallas ceded to Woods, Mary A.-Relief granted to. 35 མ3 *སྙ*** 33 32 14 32 14 33 32 OF THE STATE OF TEXAS PASSED AT THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE EIGHTEENTH LEGISLATURE CONVENED AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN JANUARY 8, 1884, AND ADJOURNED FEBRUARY 6, 1884. BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AUSTIN, TEXAS NOTE. Constitution of the State of Texas, Article III. Sec. 39. No law passed by the Legislature, except the general appropriation act, shall take effect or go into force until ninety days after the adjournment of the session at which it was enacted, unless in case of an emergency, which emergency must be expressed in a preamble or in the body of the act, the Legislature shall, by a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, otherwise direct; said vote to be taken by yeas and nays, and entered upon the journals. PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS. To all whom these presents may concern: Whereas, The Eighteenth Legislature of the State of Texas did, at its regular biennial session, which convened in the city of Austin, Texas, on the ninth day of January, A. D. 1883, and adjourned on the thirteenth day of April, A. D. 1883, propose the following amendments to the Constitution, to-wit: That sections 4 and 6, article 7, of the Constitution of the State of Texas, be amended so as to read as follows: Sec. 4. The lands herein set apart to the public free school fund, shall be sold under such regulations, at such times, and on such terms as may be prescribed by law; and the Legislature shall not have power to grant any relief to purchasers thereof. The Comptroller shall invest the proceeds of such sales and of those heretofore made, as may be directed by the Board of Education herein provided for, in the bonds of the United States, the State of Texas, or counties in said State, or in such other securities, and under such restrictions as may be prescribed by law; and the State shall be responsible for all investments. Sec. 6. All lands heretofore, or hereafter granted to the several counties of this State for educational purposes, are of right the property of said counties respectively, to which they were granted, and title thereto. is vested in said counties, and no adverse possession or limitation shall ever be available against the title of any county. Each county may sell or dispose of its lands in whole or in part, in manner to be provided by the commissioners' court of the county. Actual settlers residing on said lands, shall be protected in the prior right of purchasing the same to the extent of their settlement, not to exceed one hundred and sixty acres, at the price fixed by said court, which price shall not include the value of existing improvements made thereon by such settlers. Said lands, and the proceeds thereof, when sold, shall be held by said counties alone as a trust for the benefit of public schools therein; said proceeds to be invested in bonds of the United States, the State of Texas, or counties in said State, or in such other securities and under such restrictions as may be prescribed by law; and the counties shall be responsible for all investments; the interest thereon, and other revenue, except the principal shall be available fund. That section 9, article 8, of the Constitution of the State of Texas, be so amended as hereafter to read as follows: Article 8. "Section 9. The State tax on property, exclusive of the tax necessary to pay the public debt, and of the taxes provided for the benefit of public free schools, shall never exceed thirty-five cents on the one hundred dollars valuation; and no county, city or town shall levymore than twenty-five cents for city or county purposes, and not to exceed fifteen cents, for roads and bridges, on the one hundred dollarsvaluation, except for the payment of debts incurred prior to the adoption of this amendment, and for the erection of public buildings, street, sewer and other permanent improvements, not to exceed twenty-five cents on the one hundred dollars valuation in any one year, and except as is in this Constitution otherwise provided." That section 3 of article 7, of the Constitution of the State of Texas, be so amended as to hereafter read as follows: "Section 3. One-fourth of the revenue derived from the State occupation taxes, and a poll tax of one dollar on every male inhabitant of this State between the ages of twenty-one and sixty years, shall be set apart annually for the benefit of the public free schools, and, in addition, thereto, there shall be levied and collected an annual ad valorem State tax of such an amount, not to exceed twenty cents on the one hundred dollars valuation, as, with the available school fund arising from all other sources, will be sufficient to maintain and support the public free schools of this State for a period of not less than six months in each year; and the Legislature may also provide for the formation of school districts within all or any of the counties of this State, by general or special law, without the local notice required in other cases of special legislation, and may authorize an additional annual ad valorem tax to be levied and collected within such school districts for the further maintenance of public free schools and the erection of school buildings therein; provided, that two-thirds of the qualified property tax-paying voters of the district, voting at an election to be held for that purpose, shall vote such tax, not to exceed in any one year twenty cents on the one hundred dollars valuation of property subject to taxation in such district, but the limitation upon the amount of district tax herein authorized shall not apply to incorporated cities or towns constituting separate and independent school districts." That article 5 of the Constitution of the State shall be amended by adding thereto another section, which shall read as follows: Section 29. The county court shall hold at least four terms for both civil and criminal business annually, as may be provided by the Legislature, or by the commissioners' court of the county under authority of law, and such other terms each year as may be fixed by the commissioners' court; provided, the commissioners' court of any county having fixed the times and number of terms of the county court, shall not change the same again until the expiration of one year. Said court shall dispose of probate business either in term time or vacation, under such regulation as may be prescribed by law. Prosecutions may be commenced in said. courts in such manner as is, or may be, provided by law, and a jury therein shall consist of six men. Until otherwise provided, the terms of the county court shall be held on the first Mondays in February, May, August and November, and may remain in session three weeks. And whereas, the Governor of Texas, in compliance with law, |